


Red Riding Hood

by Dazzlious



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-15
Updated: 2017-01-15
Packaged: 2018-09-17 16:05:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9332696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dazzlious/pseuds/Dazzlious
Summary: When a Muggle takes an ill-advised shortcut through the woods she gets more than she bargained for when she encounters Lucius Malfoy.





	1. Into the Woods

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the other characters from JK Rowling’s fantastic books or films, I’m just borrowing and playing with them for a little while and get no monetary reward for doing so. All original characters are mine and as far as I’m aware bear no resemblance to anyone alive or dead.
> 
> As ever thanks go to my beta, Mamacita for sorting out my sloppy punctuation Dx

 

Kat cut across the waste ground toward the woods. She knew she shouldn’t go this way, but it was so much shorter than having to walk all the way round. Anyway, she would be fine just as long as she stuck to the path. She wrapped her red coat around her tightly, shivering in the cold wind, wishing she wasn’t wearing something quite so bright. Still, as long as she was quick about it there wouldn’t be a problem.

The woods were almost silent as if nothing dared to go there, but surely that couldn’t be the case. It was just getting late; the birds had probably turned in for the night. Kat quickly looked ahead to check whether she could see the path, then headed off, following it closely. In a few minutes, the evening gloom closed in, leaving the woods dark and scary. She really wished now that she hadn’t decided to come this way.

There was a rustling sound. Kat looked around, not scared just yet but certainly a little apprehensive. She couldn’t see anything. She walked faster. There was another noise, some way off the path in the woods, a cracking sound as of twigs being broken. Again she looked, but still she could see nothing. Well, she wasn’t going to run. That would be admitting that she was scared, and then she would be lost.

Just stick to the path . . . it’s safe on the path . . . .

She walked as quickly as she could manage, hoping that whatever was making the cracking sounds wasn’t coming her way. Now she was definitely wishing she had not been so lazy and had walked the long way round. Maybe earlier in the day this way would have been okay, but now it was almost dark.

Kat jumped when she realised a man was standing on the path in front of her. Tall and pale with long blond hair and ice-grey eyes, and immaculately dressed, he was incredibly handsome — and for some reason she couldn’t quite pin down, he completely terrified her. He appeared to have only just noticed her although Kat was sure he had already known she was there. He walked toward her, smiling. Somehow the smile seemed almost predatory.

‘Good evening,’ he said politely as he reached her, his voice a lush drawl that made her shiver. ‘What are you doing out here, all alone after dark?’

‘I thought I’d take a short cut,’ Kat replied truthfully. ‘I didn’t really think about how late it was.’ She looked rueful.

‘Well, you shouldn’t be out here all alone,’ the man said smoothly. ‘It’s really not very safe. Let me accompany you on your journey.’ He offered her his arm and Kat felt she had no choice but to accept it.

As they walked along the path Kat realised she could no longer hear the crunching of twigs. Was this man the one she had heard earlier? Had he been wandering around off the path?

‘I know a shortcut,’ the man said with a smile. ‘Shall I show you?’

Kat shook her head. ‘I think it’s a bit late. Better not go off the path; it can be dangerous in there.’

The man laughed and the sound sent a shiver straight down her spine. ‘Oh, there’s nothing in here that I’m afraid of, my dear. We’ll be perfectly safe.’ He began to guide her into the woods.

Kat froze. ‘No, please,’ she said quietly, not wanting to appear scared but knowing she was failing miserably.

The man smiled at her and ran his hand gently down her face. ‘No need to be scared, angel,’ he whispered. ‘I’ll look after you. I promise.’

Kat shuddered. That was what worried her — how the man would look after her, especially if she went off the path.

‘What’s your name?’ she asked. 

The man smiled that predatory smile again and regarded Kat with interest. ‘Is it important?’

Kat felt confused. _Was_ it important? Probably not, but at least if she knew the man’s name it would make him seem a little less remote, less scary. She nodded.

‘In that case, my name is Lucius Malfoy. And you are?’

‘Kat Easterman,’ Kat replied quietly.

Lucius smiled again. ‘A real pleasure. It looks like I’ve found myself a stray kitten.’ He laughed. ‘Now, let’s get on our way. Surely now that we’re friends you’ll come with me, won’t you?’

Kat didn’t think they were friends, but Lucius was moving her steadily off the path with such determination that she didn’t think she would be able to get away even if she wanted to. Soon they were deep in the woods, and Kat knew that if Lucius left her now she would be completely lost. Suddenly worried, she clung to him more tightly, wanting to make sure he didn’t let go.

She had no need to worry. Lucius had no intention of letting his prize get away. Having lured her away from the public area of the wood to somewhere more private, he grabbed her arms and pulled her towards him. In the dark, his eyes glowed, almost like large silver moons and, his teeth, so white and so perfect, glinted widely.

Kat shivered in fear.

‘Please let go of me,’ she requested, her voice betraying her concern.

Lucius laughed darkly. ‘What’s the matter, angel?’ he asked warmly. Suddenly he seemed so much more than just a normal man. 

‘You’re so strong — you’re hurting me.’

Lucius smiled and released his grip just slightly. ‘Just keeping you safe,’ he said, his voice a seductive burr.

‘And your eyes seem so big,’ Kat said, feeling a little stupid now.

‘A trick of the light, I assure you — although all the better to see you in this darkness,’ Lucius replied. He held her closer to him.

‘And your mouth . . . .’

‘All the better to eat you with, my angel.’ His voice was a hot whisper in her ear as his arms wrapped around her waist.

As his words sank in, the world slipped away.

 

 

* * *

 

 

They were no longer in the woods. Kat had no idea where they were, but it was somewhere indoors.

‘Where are we, and how did we get here?’ she asked, her voice full of fear that she could no longer hide.

Lucius stroked her gently. ‘Calm down, angel. I’ve rescued you from the dark and dangerous woods and brought you somewhere safe.’

Kat looked around her in amazement. The room was very beautiful and well decorated. It looked like some sort of stately home.

‘But where are we?’ she asked. ‘I don’t understand how we can be in the woods one minute and here the next.’

Lucius laughed. He still hadn’t let go of her. ‘As to where we are, we’re in my home, Malfoy Manor.’

He looked intently at the woman. What sort of Muggle was she? Beautiful, obviously, and either brave or reckless if her decision to walk through the woods was anything to go by. But what would she think of his explanation of how he had brought her to his home? And what would she do now? There was nowhere she could go, no way to get away from him, but he didn’t want to take any chances. He was looking forward to the rest of the night far too much to let her go free. But, by the same token, he didn’t want to have to use the Imperius Curse on her to get her to do anything. The night would be much more fun if she wasn’t controlled.

Kat was worried by Lucius’ gaze. He hadn’t answered her question about how they had got to his home, and there was no way she could think of that it could have happened. It had happened as if by magic. But everyone knew that was just trickery. There wasn’t any real magic in the world, just as there weren’t really vampires and werewolves — although she had been about ready to believe there could be, back in the woods.

Lucius’ grip around her waist had tightened, and she didn’t like that, either. Surely he should be letting her go now that they were safe.

‘You still haven’t told me how we got here,’ Kat said angrily, trying to pull away from the man.

‘It’s a little difficult to explain,’ Lucius said smoothly. ‘How about we make ourselves more comfortable and I’ll see what I can do?’

Kat nodded and let herself be led from the hall into a large drawing room filled with exquisitely expensive and clearly very old furniture. She moved to sit on one of the chairs, but Lucius firmly pulled her down to join him on the sofa. Trying not to look too disappointed, she perched on the edge of the seat and looked at him expectantly.

‘Let me take your coat, and you make yourself comfortable,’ Lucius said with a smile, finally releasing her. ‘I’ll get us a drink, something to warm us up. Does cognac suit you?’ He wandered over to a cabinet and extracted an old-looking bottle and two snifters. He poured a generous quantity of the amber-coloured liquid into each one and returned to the sofa.

Kat had tried to make herself slightly more comfortable but still looked as if she was about to run at any moment. Lucius stroked her hand as he passed the glass to her, making her jump.

‘Now, I know you want to know how I got you here,’ Lucius started, his voice a lush drawl as he smiled at her. ‘And I will explain. But whether you’ll believe me or not is another matter.’ He looked almost apologetic. ‘I find that Muggles so rarely understand what they are told, even when it’s explained in simple terms.’

Kat frowned. ‘Muggles? What are Muggles?’

Lucius looked at her. ‘You are,’ he said. Kat got the feeling that being a Muggle wasn’t necessarily a good thing, at least not with Lucius around.

‘And you . . . aren’t you a Muggle?’ 

‘No! I’m a Pure-blood wizard.’

He didn’t laugh or smile or do any of the things she would have expected to accompany that statement. In fact, if anything he looked more serious and even scarier than he had before.

‘A wizard?’ Kat sounded unsure.

‘Pure-blood,’ Lucius replied coolly with a curt nod of his head. He took a sip of his cognac.

‘And I’m . . . .’

Lucius sighed. ‘Yes. You’re a Muggle. It means you have no magical power — a completely different race from someone like myself.’

Kat mouthed the words ‘magical power’ to herself. Surely that couldn’t be right. There was no such thing as magic.

‘Now, I know you’re thinking there’s no such thing as magic,’ Lucius said, a condescending smile on his face. ‘But think for a moment: what other way could I have brought you here?’

‘But—’

‘Drink your cognac. What do you think of it?’ Lucius asked pleasantly.

‘It’s very nice,’ Kat admitted after she had taken a sip. It really was very good.

Lucius smiled. ‘It should be, it’s almost a hundred years old.’ He swirled the drink in his glass. ‘You don’t seem like a stupid woman, Kat. Do you really need a demonstration of my power?’ His voice had a slight edge.

Kat didn’t know what to say. On the one hand, she didn’t want to anger Lucius, as she still had no idea why she was there, but at the same time, she couldn’t believe in the idea of magic without proof.

Lucius sensed her hesitation and laughed, a cold sound that made shivers run through her.

‘You really have to admire the Muggle ability to completely disbelieve even the most obvious things that are going on around them,’ he said slightly sarcastically. ‘I see you do need a demonstration. But what to do to convince you?’

‘Don’t produce a bunch of flowers or doves or any of that rubbish,’ Kat said testily. ‘Everyone knows that’s just trickery, not magic.’

Lucius thought quickly. He could Transfigure something, although to be honest, it wasn’t his forte. What he was good at was curses, especially the Unforgivable ones, but if he used any of those Kat would probably be completely terrified. Or would it make her realise she was now his to play with as he chose? Perhaps it would. A little more fear might make her even more fun, although he didn’t want her so scared that she froze up on him completely. That would be no fun at all.

Smiling coldly, he continued to look at Kat. ‘As you need a demonstration . . . so be it.’ He clicked his fingers and with a pop one of his house-elves appeared.

‘Master called for Pacey? What does Master desire?’

Kat looked stunned. Lucius smirked. Perhaps this would be enough to convince her.

‘What is that?’ Kat whispered worriedly.

‘One of my house-elves,’ Lucius replied smoothly. He looked at the creature. ‘Pacey, my companion here is a Muggle.’ The house-elf looked astonished that his master was treating a Muggle as an equal. Lucius’ loathing of Muggles was legendary.

‘Unfortunately, she doesn’t believe in magic and needs a demonstration to convince her.’ Lucius glanced at Kat, wondering if she would stop the demonstration now that she had seen the house-elf. She didn’t, even though Pacey visibly cringed at Lucius’ words. He knew he was likely to be in for pain.

Lucius pulled his wand from his pocket and pointed it at the house-elf. Kat watched, still not quite able to believe her eyes. This weird creature had appeared from nowhere, and now Lucius was brandishing a bit of wood — was that a wand? — at it.

‘ _Locomotor mortis_ ,’ Lucius intoned, and a blast of red light shot from the end of his wand and hit the house-elf. 

Kat looked on wide-eyed, wondering what had just happened.

‘Pacey, walk towards the Muggle,’ Lucius ordered.

The house-elf tried to do as he had been ordered by his master, but fell over. His legs appeared to have been glued together. Kat watched in astonishment.

‘What was that?’

‘A Leg-Locker Curse,’ Lucius told her calmly, ‘obviously annoying, but not particularly painful. Unlike this — the Cruciatus Curse.’ He aimed his wand at the terrified house-elf again.

‘ _Crucio!_ ‘

The house-elf rolled around the floor, screaming, apparently in absolute agony. _Crucio_ , thought Kat, _that’s what that is: torturous, excruciating pain_. Lucius didn’t stop it, just left the house-elf screaming in pain on the floor.

‘Stop it!’ Kat shouted, clearly upset by his treatment of the house-elf.

Immediately Lucius called out, ‘ _Finite Incantatem!_ ‘ and Pacey was released from both spells.

Kat looked at Lucius in horror. ‘Why would you use that? How _could_ you use that?’  

‘Do you believe me now?’ Lucius asked, seemingly not at all worried about his house-elf.

Kat nodded and realised she had tears running down her cheeks. She was also now completely terrified. Why had Lucius brought her here? She was obviously powerless to resist him. What if he decided to use that spell on _her?_ She paled.

Lucius moved toward her as if to comfort her, but she flinched away, scared of his touch.

‘You may go, Pacey,’ he told the house-elf. ‘I do not wish to be disturbed for the rest of the night.’

The house-elf nodded, then Disapparated amazed to have got off so lightly. Pity the poor Muggle, as she was obviously spending the night with the Master.

Lucius stroked Kat’s face. ‘I have no intention of using any spells on you, angel. You have no need to fear on that score.’

Kat tried to look relieved but knew she was failing miserably. She took a large sip of her cognac.

‘At least I won’t as long as you do everything I tell you to.’

That predatory look was back, and this time the intention was clearly written on Lucius’ face. Kat tried to blink away the tears; she knew she was in trouble. Lucius really was a wolf and she should never have stepped off of the path. She took another large mouthful of her drink, finishing it, feeling the burning liquid run down her throat and trying to concentrate on that and not on what must come soon. After all, he had told the house-elf he didn’t want to be disturbed all night, and that could only be because he would be busy . . . with her. 

Lucius took her empty glass and placed it back on the cabinet with his. She noticed he still had his wand out. He wasn’t pointing it directly at her, but the vague threat was there.

‘It’s getting late,’ he said conversationally. ‘I believe it’s time we thought about going to bed, don’t you?’ His gaze intensified, making Kat feel extremely uncomfortable.

Floundering for a way to stall, she had a sudden thought. ‘Are you married?’

Lucius looked amused. ‘Yes, as a matter of fact, I am. But my wife’s not here at the moment. Off at a spa somewhere with some of her girlfriends. I’m pleased to get rid of her, actually. It gives me a chance to have some fun.’ A wicked grin crossed his face. ‘ . . . And my son is at boarding school, so you don’t have to worry about him, either.’

He took Kat’s hand to help her up from the sofa.

Kat didn’t know what to say next. There was nothing else to stall him with.

‘Are you going to kill me?’ she blurted out. Where the hell had that come from?

Lucius looked amused again, although she noticed the smile didn’t reach his cold grey eyes.

‘Hardly. What use would you be to me dead? Oh no, angel, I’ve already told you what I’m going to do to you. Now, come — I want you to see the bedroom.’

Kat felt compelled to follow. If she didn’t, she strongly suspected she would be getting a taste of the Cruciatus Curse, and she definitely didn’t want that. _It was your own fault for going off the path_ , she told herself. _You knew the old tales and obviously, there were good reasons for them._ But it could be worse, she thought. At least Lucius was handsome — very handsome — and if she was lucky he might turn out to be not quite the sadist she thought he was.

 

 

* * *

 

 

They were back in the hallway, heading for the large, sweeping staircase. Kat couldn’t help but be impressed by the size and grandeur of his home, whatever she might have felt about her current predicament.

‘How big is your house, Lucius?’ she asked interestedly. ‘How many rooms do you have? And how old is it?’

Lucius laughed, this time genuinely. ‘Do you know, I’ve no idea. I’ve never actually counted. But we have fifteen guest bedrooms if that gives you a clue. The Malfoys have owned the Manor since the fifteenth century, quite some time.’ He smiled. ‘This way. My quarters are in the west wing. Narcissa lives in the east wing.’

‘Why do you live separately?’ Kat asked.

‘She and I prefer to spend time apart from each other. That way we both get our privacy when we need it.’

They were walking down a long, dark corridor now and Kat was beginning to get nervous. Lucius had said he had told her what he was going to do to her, but she couldn’t remember anything he had said before that curse had been cast on the house-elf.

Lucius opened a large, ornate door and ushered Kat into the room beyond. It was astonishing. Like rooms of other stately homes she had seen, this one was large and opulently decorated in shades of green, silver, and black. The walls were of fine silver-grey fabric with a pattern on them that she couldn’t make out. The elegant curtains were green and black striped and shot with thin silver bands. The chairs by the large fireplace were done up in matching fabric. Dominating the room was the largest four-poster bed she had ever seen. It, too, was decorated in heavy brocades in the same colours, with matching quilts and pillows.

There was a clunk as the heavy door shut and Kat heard what sounded like locks sliding into place. Her heart sank as she realised she was trapped. She turned to face Lucius.

‘What do you think of it?’ he asked, genuinely interested.

‘It’s magnificent,’ Kat admitted. ‘Although I don’t like being locked in.’

Lucius laughed. ‘Just a little precaution to stop you wandering about in the middle of the night. I should hate for you to get hurt accidentally.’

_Did that mean he intended that she should get hurt on purpose?_ her mind asked in panic. No. Hadn’t he told her he didn’t intend to hurt her? So what had he told her he was going to do? She didn’t remember anything that particularly set off alarm bells.

‘You know when I saw you in that red coat you reminded me of that Muggle fairy tale, Red Riding Hood. Making your way to Grandma’s house through the woods, careful to stick to the path.’ He smiled, once again showing that wolfish grin. ‘Where were you going?’

Something clicked in Kat’s brain then, but before she had a chance to make the connection it had flitted off again.

‘Home. I had been working late and thought I would take the shortcut to save myself a few minutes.’ Kat laughed ruefully. How long had she been here now?

‘Will anyone be missing you?’ Lucius asked.

Kat shook her head. ‘No. No one will even notice, I expect,’ she replied truthfully. She sounded a little wistful.

Lucius walked over to a small table at the side of the room and poured two drinks from a decanter there. He walked back to Kat, who had moved further into the room, closer to the bed. He handed her one of the glasses and she took a sip. It was the same cognac as before.

Lucius looked at her carefully. ‘No husband? Or family?’

Kat shook her head. ‘No. I was married once, a long time ago.’ She took another drink. This was going to be painful enough without having to dredge up old memories.

Lucius motioned for her to sit on the bed, and reluctantly she did so. At least it was incredibly comfortable.

‘So what happened, angel?’ he asked gently.

‘It was a long time ago,’ Kat said defensively. ‘I really don’t want to talk about it.’

Lucius smiled. ‘So eager to get on with it, eh? Shame. I was hoping we could get to know each other a bit better first. I mean, you know about my wife and son — surely it’s only fair that I should know about you. After all, why would a beautiful woman like you be alone?’

Kat sighed and took another mouthful of cognac. She would have to be careful or she would end up getting drunk, and God only knew what would happen then. Mind you, maybe getting drunk was the best option. Maybe she wouldn’t mind whatever was going to happen so much if she was drunk.

‘I was married when I was twenty-one. We had been a couple since school, and neither of us had ever been in other relationships. When we left university we decided to settle down, buy a house and get married. For a few years everything was great, but we wanted children, and however hard we tried, I just couldn’t get pregnant. Eventually, we had lots of tests done and the results came back: I was unable to conceive.

‘As soon as the results came through, Dave changed toward me. He no longer showed me any affection, never had any time for me. I thought he was grieving the same way I was about the situation, but he wasn’t. He was off having affairs and eventually he found someone who could give him a baby. He left me and moved in with her. Shortly after that, we divorced.’

‘I’m very sorry to hear that,’ Lucius told her, sounding sincerely upset. ‘And you never remarried?’

‘No. It took me a long time to get over Dave and as I said, he was my only boyfriend. I was a bit scared of dating in my late twenties and so, apart from a few fairly meaningless meetings set up by friends, I’ve just got on with my life and not thought about it.’

Lucius leaned over to wipe away a stray teardrop that was snaking down Kat’s cheek. He looked in wonder at the beautiful woman before him. This was getting better and better. She had no husband or child and hadn’t had sex in Merlin only knew how long. Yes, tonight was definitely going to be fun.

‘And no other family?’

‘My parents live abroad. I do have a sister, but she’s married with children and lives several hours’ journey away from me. I see her a couple of times a year, but we’ve never been the closest of families.’

Lucius smiled. No family to worry about her, either. So he didn’t have to worry about how quickly he got rid of her. He could keep her here with him for as long as he wanted.


	2. The Wolf's Den

Lucius’ hand stroked her face again gently. His own face moved closer, his lips brushing against hers before capturing them in a tender kiss. He was going to upset her again shortly, but there was time for some romance first, something to calm and relax her. Kat reacted favourably to his kiss and soon he had an arm wrapped around her and was pressing her to him as he kissed her deeply. He could feel her breasts pressed against his chest, rising and falling as she tried to quell the heavy breathing that had overtaken her with his kiss.

Arousal. She was aroused by him, whether she knew it yet or not. That was a good thing. It would make the evening so much easier, at least after the initial unpleasantness that he instinctively knew was to come. Knowing the type of person Kat was assured him of that. Taking the glass from her hand, he placed it carefully with his on the floor out of reach of possible spills and pulled her to him once more, his mouth finding hers for an even more intense and intrusive kiss.

This wasn’t too bad, Kat thought vaguely. She could cope with kissing. It was just anything after that that she had a problem with. And Lucius was a very good kisser; in fact, he took her breath away. Quite literally! It was a shame he was married. Although he clearly had no scruples, she did, and sleeping with other people’s husbands wasn’t something she was interested in doing. After all, she knew how it felt to be on the receiving end of that kind of betrayal. But how she was going to convince Lucius that she wasn’t interested she had no idea. Remembering his demonstration on the unfortunate Pacey, she suspected that if she upset him he would turn the curse on her.

‘What’s the matter, angel?’ Lucius asked, noticing her drifting away from him.

Kat frowned. ‘I know why you’ve brought me here, Lucius. But I’m not interested. You seem like a nice man—’ she shivered inside as she said it— ‘and you are without a doubt very handsome. But I’m not interested in getting involved with a married man. I’m sorry, but I can’t do it.’

Lucius looked at her intently for a moment, nodding as if he knew exactly what she meant, then smiled that smile that frightened her so. ‘But you don’t actually have any choice, angel. You can’t leave, and I’m not in the mood to let you go just now. We haven’t even begun to have fun yet.’

He grabbed her to him again. His mouth forced itself upon her now, kissing her roughly as his tongue slid into her mouth, his hand caressing and gently squeezing her throat as they kissed. He was annoyed now. Kat had ruined his romantic moment by reminding him that he was married. Of course, she had been on the receiving end of an adulterer’s disloyalty, so that made her touchy on the subject but he wasn’t giving her up just because she didn’t want to get involved with a married man. And now that she had ruined the mood he was going to upset her even more.

Abruptly he released her from his grasp and stood, looking down at her appraisingly.

‘Time for the fun to begin, I think,’ he said, his voice seductive but with a hard edge. He scooped up the glasses of cognac from the floor and moved to one of the chairs by the fireplace. He moved it and sat down facing the bed, putting the glasses on the table beside him. He looked at Kat again.

‘Stand up and remove your clothes.’

The order, delivered in such a cold, businesslike tone, shocked Kat, but she didn’t move.

‘Didn’t you hear me, angel?’ Lucius asked coldly. ‘I said, stand and remove your clothes.’

‘I heard you,’ Kat said quietly. ‘But I can’t do that. I told you, I’m not interested.’

Lucius’ wand had suddenly appeared from God only knew where, and he pointed it at her. ‘I told you I wasn’t interested in hurting you, and that I wouldn’t as long as you did everything I told you to. Now, it’s your choice: either you undress for me, or I’ll be forced to use a spell on you.’

His face appeared passive; there was no sign that he would be unhappy about casting a spell on her. Kat shuddered. What choice did she have? She didn’t want to find herself rolling around the floor in agony like that elf had done.

She stood unhappily and undid the buttons of her cardigan before slowly removing it. Lucius had settled back in his chair to watch the show, his wand still trained on her. Her jumper went next, revealing her full breasts encased in scarlet satin and lace. Kat cursed herself for choosing that set when she saw Lucius’ eyebrows rise with a smile at the sight of her racy underwear. Her hands were shaking badly as she tried to undo the skirt — she couldn’t do it. She didn’t want to get undressed in front of Lucius, however attractive or dangerous he was. She couldn’t give him the show he so obviously wanted.

‘Why have you stopped, angel?’ Lucius’ voice was lush and dangerous.

Kat looked at him, feeling the tears forming in her eyes again. ‘I can’t do it,’ she said. ‘I don’t care if you hurt me — I can’t do it.’

Lucius looked angry. He was annoyed at being denied his show. He had been looking forward to seeing Kat in that incredibly sexy underwear that she had got concealed under her boring work clothes, but once again she had refused him. Of course, he wasn’t going to hurt her — at least not yet — but it could be a requisite further into the evening if she was already willing to go against him.

Looking bored, he waved his wand.

‘ _Divestio!_ ’

Kat realised in shock that she was naked. All her clothes had disappeared — not just fallen off, but completely vanished. She tried desperately to cover herself with her hands, not making a very good job of it, while she looked around trying to find her clothes.

‘They’re quite safe, I assure you,’ Lucius told her. ‘Anyway, you don’t need them.’

He looked at Kat, quite clearly admiring her body. ‘I did warn you what would happen if you didn’t do as I asked. Now, remove your hands. I want to look at you properly.’

Kat was still shaking from the spell that had been cast on her. He was serious. He could hurt her if she didn’t do as he said. She lowered her hands, her gaze dropping to the floor and her cheeks turning red as she cringed with embarrassment. She had never been all that keen on her body and would never have willingly shown it to anyone, especially not a handsome man like Lucius.

‘Lift your head, angel. I want to see all of you.’ Lucius’ voice wasn’t unkind, and Kat raised her head, the crimson flush of embarrassment lingering on her cheeks.

‘Why so embarrassed, angel?’ Lucius asked gently, his gaze never leaving her. ‘You really are beautiful. Very sexy.’

Kat was completely mortified by Lucius’ scrutiny and could hardly hear his words for the deafening pounding of blood in her ears. It was one thing to choose to undress for a lover, for someone who knew your imperfections — the lumps and bumps and lines of age — and loved you despite them, but quite another to suddenly have your clothing — your defences — stripped from you with no warning and no way of stopping it. She closed her eyes and wished it was over, that she was anywhere but here.

‘Look at me,’ Lucius said immediately, not giving her a second’s respite.

Kat opened her eyes and felt the tears falling again.

Lucius stood and walked towards Kat. He noted her slight flinch when he reached out to touch her. His finger ran from her face, where it wiped away the tears, down her neck and down over one breast, rubbing lightly over her nipple. She looked terrified — not what he wanted at all. He couldn’t enjoy himself if all the time he was worrying that she was going to freeze with fear.

He leant down slightly to whisper seductively in Kat’s ear. ‘I’ve told you that I’m not going to harm you, so why are you so scared? ‘

Lucius looked at her for a second, his finger still rubbing at her now slowly stiffening nipple, then promised, ‘I’m going to give you the most pleasure you’ve ever had. You just have to relax and trust me.’ 

His mouth found Kat’s throat and kissed it gently. He could feel another shiver run through her, although this time it was not necessarily completely due to fear. ‘And do whatever I tell you, of course . . . .’ 

 

 

* * *

 

 

‘I think you should get back on the bed,’ Lucius said with a warm smile. He was still holding his wand. He waved it and the rich eiderdown folded down to lie neatly at the end of the bed, revealing ice-white silk sheets.

Kat knew she had no choice. Lucius obviously didn’t care that she was uncomfortable — no, not uncomfortable: totally opposed to what he was making her do. He was thinking only of his own desires. She backed away from his touch toward the bed, once more sitting down on the end of it.

‘Make yourself comfortable, angel,’ he drawled. ‘I’ll be with you shortly.’

Lucius waved his wand once more although not in her direction this time. He was removing his own clothes. Kat didn’t know where to look. She had been watching him closely to see what he was doing with his wand, but now he was naked.

‘I thought I told you to get comfortable,’ Lucius said, seemingly slightly surprised that she hadn’t done as he had asked. ‘Perhaps you might like to lie down.’

Not wanting to risk his wrath, Kat did as he suggested. She climbed fully onto the bed and lay down, turning slightly onto her side in an effort to hide her body. She wished she could pull the covers up around her chin, but she didn’t think Lucius would be too pleased if she tried.

He walked over to the bed and stood beside her, watching her with what seemed to be amusement. Did he really find her distress at being naked funny? He reached out a hand to stroke her long auburn hair, pushing it away from her face.

‘I think you’ll be more comfortable on your back.’ His voice was matter-of-fact.

Kat didn’t think she would, but she moved to lie that way, trying not to look at Lucius and trying even more desperately not to notice him looking at her. She closed her eyes momentarily, then realised as she opened them that Lucius was leaning over her, smiling brightly.

‘Mmmm, lovely. Now, just you relax,’ he whispered.

His hands shot out and grabbed hers, and he pulled her arms above her head. Before she had a chance to register what was happening, silken cords erupted from the bedposts, wrapping themselves like snakes around her wrists and ankles and tying her firmly to the bed, embarrassingly spread-eagled across it. Kat closed her eyes again and tried to bite back a cry of shock. She didn’t succeed.

Lucius was whispering in her ear again now, his soft breath causing her to shiver again.

‘Don’t worry, angel, you’re perfectly safe. I told you, you just have to _trust_ me. You do trust me, don’t you?’

Did she trust Lucius? Why would she, after everything he had put her through so far? And now he had tied her up, leaving her even more helpless than she had been before. She had never been interested in bondage or any of that sadomasochistic stuff. It didn’t give her a thrill, just made her blood run cold. But what choice did she have now? She had no choice but to trust him.

She nodded her head slightly, unable to say the words, but Lucius appeared satisfied.

‘Not too uncomfortable, I hope?’ he asked almost conversationally.

‘I don’t like being tied up,’ Kat said. ‘It freaks me out not being able to move . . . and being stuck . . . like this . . . .’

Lucius smiled. ‘You look . . . magnificent. Even more beautiful than I’d expected.’ He ran his hand slowly down her taut body, from her shoulders down to her stomach.

‘And I can see so much more of you like this,’ he said, sounding delighted.

Kat shivered. Lucius’ hand and his dark, sultry voice were raising goose bumps on her flesh. He really was very attractive and very scary.

He leant in close again and planted a delicate kiss on her lips before whispering once more in her ear. ‘And now to do what I promised . . . .’

He removed his hand from her body and disappeared from her line of vision. She heard a clink, possibly the sound of his wand being placed on the bedside table — at least he obviously wasn’t going to use that on her at the moment. He was going to do what he had promised. But what had he promised? She still couldn’t remember.

Then the image of Little Red Riding Hood came into her brain. What was it Lucius had said? She had reminded him of Little Red Riding Hood. And that had reminded her of . . . what? She turned her brain over and suddenly she remembered.

The woods — Lucius holding her tightly, too tightly — and his eyes so big and round, shining like silver moons. She had thought for a moment that he might be a wolf or a werewolf. And his teeth so perfect, his mouth so alluring and—

‘Oh!’ she cried out, both from the memory of his words and the sudden physical understanding of what he had meant.

Lucius was between her spread legs and had just licked from her clit right down the length of her slit and back up again, and his tongue was now laving her quickly hardening nub.

‘ _All the better to eat you with, my angel_ ’ he had said — and he was doing just that.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Lucius didn’t pause in his exploration of Kat’s hard clit and luscious vulva. His tongue slid between the delicate pink folds as he tasted her, and when she cried out, the sound was a mixture of desire, pleasure and understanding. He smiled as his mouth worked harder on her, drawing out more whimpers of enjoyment. So the Red Riding Hood clue hadn’t reminded her of his promise immediately, he mused, but she had finally got there, apparently at the same time he had.

She really was very beautiful, as he had told her, and she tasted wonderful. His fingers had been playing with her breasts, squeezing them and pulling on her now erect nipples but he reluctantly let them go to concentrate instead on the matter at hand. Plenty of time for her breasts later.

His tongue had been alternately laving her wondrous clit and sliding into her wetness, drawing her closer to orgasm. The bonds stopped her from moving away from his mouth, something she clearly seemed to want to do as his tongue continued its deadly assault. From her cries, begging, and pleading, she was finding the experience overwhelming, exactly as he had planned. That was the reason for the bonds, after all.

With them, he didn’t have to hold on to her but was free to use his fingers to aid him in his quest for her climax, and this he did, his fingers sliding into the warm, wet tightness as his tongue continued its attention to her most sensitive part. Kat struggled against her bonds, straining to get away from his mouth and fingers, yet desperately wanting them at the same time. Lucius hoped she wouldn’t be too badly marked by the ropes. He had purposely made them as soft as he could, knowing things could get rough, but he’d had to tie them securely or she would have been able to escape him, and that would never do.

Kat was crying out loudly now, clearly with pleasure; she seemed to have abandoned all worries about his marital status and was purely enjoying his attentions. Her obvious enjoyment was arousing him more than he had expected, and he had the sudden desire to plunge deep inside her and fuck her hard until they both came, but that, too, was for later. For now, he had to keep his mind on his task: his promise to give her more pleasure than she had ever had before, and of course, his earlier promise to eat her.

Small sobs were issuing from Kat now as his fingers and tongue continued to tease and torture her, bringing her time and again to the very edge of orgasm, then letting her down. He had teased her enough; she needed to come urgently and he wanted her to, wanted to give her that which she now so clearly, desperately desired. He intensified his efforts, rewarded only minutes later with cries of ecstasy from his beautiful lover as she climaxed, her juices flooding his grateful mouth and making him moan with desire for her.

For a few more minutes his tongue continued to gently lick her slit, probing into the soft, swollen folds that covered that most exciting area. Then his mouth released her, and he kissed her gently as he made his way slowly up her body, over her sparsely covered mound, over her stomach — pausing briefly to lick at her belly button — then up her ribcage to those wonderful breasts with the now erect nipples. His mouth fastened on first one, then the other, his hand providing comfort for the neglected breast. He groaned in pleasure, feeling his hardness throb with desire for the goddess who lay beneath him. He needed to reign himself in for a little while longer. He wanted to increase his desire to its fullest pitch before finally claiming her body with his hard cock.

Kat’s moans of desire continued even now, she was obviously enjoying his attention to her breasts as she had enjoyed his tongue such a short while before. But still she was tied, and that obviously frustrated her. Seeing the way her body twisted against the restraints, Lucius worried that she might hurt herself. He didn’t need the bonds any longer. They had served their purpose and he was sure now that Kat wouldn’t be attempting to escape him. He muttered quietly and the ropes untied themselves and retreated back into the bedposts, leaving Kat free.

Her hands moved to run through Lucius’ hair, her cries loud as his wonderful and talented mouth now gave her breasts the same attention he had previously given her pussy. It had been so many years since she had felt the touch of a man that she had forgotten the exquisite pleasure such a touch could bring. Now Lucius was reminding her forcefully of the pleasure she had missed for so long, and regardless of who or what he was, she had no intention of stopping him. Already he had given her a massive orgasm, better than anything she remembered ever experiencing with her husband, and the feelings Lucius was arousing in her now were almost on a par. If he continued like this, he was going to kill her with sheer pleasure. 

Her hands had moved to massage his shoulders now. Kat didn’t want him to break off his attentions to her, but at the same time, she wanted to repay him for all the pleasure he was giving her. She couldn’t imagine now why she had been so frightened of him and what he might do to her. Not now that she had experienced his attentions and given in to his desires. He had even released her from the bondage she had so despised but now understood.

‘I want to give you pleasure,’ she whispered.

Lucius broke from his assault on her nipple to look at her and laugh deeply. ‘You already have, angel.’

‘You know what I mean,’ Kat said, suddenly embarrassed again. ‘I’m sorry I don’t have the experience, don’t really know what to do.’

Lucius smiled and moved to kiss her deeply on the lips. ‘You’re doing fine,’ he assured her. ‘All I need is for you to want me.’

‘I do,’ Kat replied sincerely. ‘More than anything.’

‘Then tell me, angel,’ Lucius whispered between kisses. ‘Tell me you want me . . . what you want me to do.’

Emboldened by his kisses, Kat’s hand slid down to touch Lucius’ cock. She heard his sharp hiss of pleasure as her hand wrapped around its hard length. But she wasn’t sure what to do next, she and Dave had never really done anything like that. He hadn’t been into foreplay. She squeezed it, enjoying the texture of it, interested in the hardness and the length. Lucius was considerably bigger than Dave —  and she had always thought him big!

‘What do you want?’ Lucius’ seductive voice whispered in her ear before he kissed her again.

‘What do _you_ want?’ Kat asked.        

‘You know what I want,’ Lucius drawled. ‘I want to possess you completely. I want to make you come again and to come myself.’

Another kiss.

‘That’s what I want, too,’ Kat said. ‘I give myself to you.’

Lucius’ heart soared at her words. She had offered herself to him freely, the thing he wanted above all else. His cock twitched in her hand and he groaned again. It felt good, her holding him, but he needed more. He needed to be inside her.

‘Tell me you want me,’ he breathed. ‘Tell me you want me to fuck you.’

‘You know I do,’ Kat whispered.

‘Then tell me, angel,’ Lucius pleaded, needing to hear her say the words. He needed to hear her beg for him as much as he wanted her.

‘I want you to fuck me, Lucius,’ Kat breathed, ‘more than anything. Please fuck me.’

Lucius gave a huge sob, a mixture of joy, excitement, and relief, and moved between Kat’s legs, his throbbing hardness now pressing at her tight, wet entrance.

‘This is going to be good,’ he promised as he guided himself into her, moaning with pleasure as her tightness wrapped around him.

Kat called out, too, at the intrusion of his erection into her body, enjoying the feeling as he pushed deep inside her, her arms and legs wrapping around him as she pressed against him. Soon they fell into a steady rhythm, Lucius’ thrusts accelerating or slowing depending on the cries Kat was making, thrusting deeper or withdrawing almost all the way before pushing back in as her body arched beneath him.

‘Oh God, you feel so good!’ she cried.

‘You too,’ he confirmed, her exquisite tightness drawing him closer and closer to climax. Soon it was clear that she, too, was close, and the need for release was overwhelming. Lucius held her down as his thrusts became deeper and harder in response to her begging. She screamed out his name as her orgasm hit; her contracting muscles dragged him along behind her, making him cry out too as he buried his face in her fragrant hair.

‘How long has it been since you last did that?’ Lucius asked a short time later as he held her tightly in his arms, enjoying the feeling of her soft body against his.

‘Forever,’ Kat replied. ‘At least it seems that way. Probably at least six years. And it was never that good.’

Lucius couldn’t believe anyone would go so long without sex, especially someone as clearly passionate as Kat. He wondered what her husband must have been like to leave her so unfulfilled, and at the same time grieving so deeply that she wouldn’t let anyone else into her life. Whoever he was, he obviously didn’t deserve her. Kat was better off without him, and hopefully, Lucius would make her realise that.

‘Six years? Gods! Well, you’ve obviously got a lot to make up for, and I would be more than happy to offer my services in any way.’ Lucius grinned as he hugged her closer to him, kissing her hair.

Kat curled closer to him, trying to imagine what six years of this sort of pleasure would have done for her. But of course, she never would have had this kind of pleasure with Dave. She now realised that their inexperience had given them both an unsatisfactory sex life, but without anyone else for reference she had never known. She felt stupid for having grieved so long for her marriage. Dave had obviously realised shortly after cheating on her that what they had was nothing special, but instead of trying to rectify things he had taken the easy way out, ruining her life in the process. If nothing else, Lucius had shown her she didn’t need or want Dave any more. Once again, she thought it a shame that Lucius was married. Then that made her feel guilty about what they had just done. She tried to move away from him.

‘What’s the matter?’ Lucius asked in confusion, his grip tightening automatically.

‘You’re married,’ Kat replied unhappily.

Lucius sighed and pulled her closer. ‘We’ve been through this, angel. Yes, I’m married, but it makes no difference. Are you really upset that I made love to you?’

Kat cringed. She couldn’t say yes to that; she had enjoyed it too much. But she felt guilty about hurting Lucius’ wife.

As if he could read her thoughts, Lucius said, ‘You’re not hurting her, you know.’

His hand slid between her legs to find her clit once more before sliding into her wetness. Kat moaned and tried to move away, but she was held fast.

‘Just let me love you, angel,’ Lucius told her. ‘I’ve so much to show you. Just forget about Narcissa. I have.’

‘It’s not that easy,’ Kat retorted.

Lucius kissed her. ‘Yes, it is. You have no choice. I haven’t finished with you yet — nowhere near finished.’

Kat moaned as his fingers moved inside her. She knew she wouldn’t be able to get away from Lucius until he decided to let her go, but she wished, too, that she didn’t know about his wife and son. It would have made it so much easier, especially when she couldn’t resist his touch or the things he did to her. Finally, unhappily resigned to her fate, she yielded to him once more.

Later, while she slept, he checked her wrists, noting the red marks the cords had made. He kissed each one and whispered a healing charm to banish any pain they might be causing her. Then he moved to her ankles and followed the same pattern before joining her in sleep.


	3. Freedom?

Lucius looked at Kat as she lay sleeping in his arms. He had spent a wonderful night with her. In fact, it had considerably exceeded his expectations. After undressing her he hadn’t even had to use another spell on her to get what he wanted. He’d had to put up with her feeling guilty about Narcissa on several occasions, but as he wasn’t willing to release her and the threat of more spells was always there, despite being unspoken, she had finally given up on that score. He stroked Kat’s hair gently, not wanting to wake her. She really was very beautiful and he would love to keep her indefinitely, but in another day or so he would have to let her go, otherwise someone would miss her, regardless of what she thought.

She moved against him in her sleep, her arms wrapping around him, her breasts brushing against him and making his cock twitch again. He sighed and held her tighter. He was ready to try to go back to sleep, and only hoped his cock would let him.

Then Kat moved again. She opened her eyes and looked up at him with a smile. Lucius brushed her hair from her face and leant in to kiss her.

‘Morning, Lucius,’ she whispered, her voice gravelly from sleep.

‘Morning, angel. Did you sleep well?’ he smiled.

Kat stretched. ‘Yes, did you?’

Lucius laughed. ‘Hard to sleep with someone so sexy next to me,’ he said honestly. ‘But I managed a few hours.’

Kat blushed. Even now she wasn’t immune to Lucius’ compliments. She pulled him to her and kissed him again, feeling his hardness pressing against her. Was he always ready?

As if reading her thoughts, Lucius chuckled. ‘I’m hard again. You seem to be keeping me that way permanently.’

‘Are you sure it’s me?’ Kat asked jokingly. ‘I thought maybe you were naturally like that.’

Lucius shook his head. ‘While I do admit to having a very high sex drive, even I’m not hard all the time. Well, at least I wasn’t until I got you into my bed.’

Kat’s hand reached down to stroke his hard length, and Lucius moaned gently.

‘So what do you want?’ she asked smiling. ‘What are you going to teach me now?’

Lucius looked over at Kat and brushed his thumb over her lips. Time to teach her something new.

He whispered in her ear and she giggled, then pulled down the covers to reveal her beautiful body and his hard erection. For a second he considered changing his mind and going down on her instead, but she would still be there afterwards, and he really wanted this.

Guiding her, he watched as she found his cock with her mouth. Her tongue licked around the tip before sliding over his hard length. Lucius moaned in appreciation, telling her what he wanted, teaching her the best way to pleasure him. Kat was a good pupil and was soon sucking him exactly as he wanted her to, her hands squeezing his tight balls as she took him as deep down her throat as she could. Lucius ran his hands through her hair, trying not to push her further onto him, thoroughly enjoying what she was doing to him. She pulled off of him and her tongue flicked out to tease him mercilessly; she enjoyed hearing his moans and pleading before she slid back over him, sucking hard until he finally came in her mouth.

Being in charge was a new experience for Kat, and she liked it. Lucius noticed and filed the observation away for future reference. He definitely liked the idea of this beautiful woman taking charge of him, but not now. Now he was going to give her pleasure, but this time without the bonds. His mouth moved slowly downward . . . .

 

 

* * *

 

 

Kat didn’t know how long she had been at Malfoy Manor. Since that first night, she hadn’t left Lucius’ bedroom except to visit the ensuite bathroom to go to the toilet, or to shower, which the pair of them had done on several occasions, always together. At one point, Lucius had even run a bath for her, going off to conduct some business elsewhere in the Manor and leaving her to relax amid the fragrant bubbles. Kat wondered what business he worked at that left him free to spend so much time with her. They hadn’t even left for meals. It seemed there was always food — delivered by the house-elves when Kat and Lucius slept or showered, she assumed — but it wasn’t a regular three-meal thing so she couldn’t gauge the time accurately. If their sleeping patterns were vaguely regular, she had a feeling she might have been there for three or four days, and that meant she had missed work. Whilst no one would have noticed her not being around at the weekend, they would have wondered why she hadn’t turned up for work or phoned in sick.

She wondered how much longer Lucius was going to keep her here. Surely he couldn’t keep her in his bedroom forever; either he would have to start going to work or he would get bored with her. After all, they had spent so much time having sex already, she thought he must be ready for a break by now. And she had to get back to work too; before she lost her job.

And then there was his wife. She had gone to the spa with her friends, but surely she was due back at any time — and what would she think when she found another woman in Lucius’ bed? Once again Kat pondered the fact that Lucius and his wife lived in separate wings of the house. That wasn’t exactly romantic behavior, but then, aristocrats were always a bit odd like that, weren’t they?

Kat was no longer scared of Lucius, at least not in the way she had been the night he had abducted her; but a part of her still wondered if he was actually going to let her leave, or if he had something darker in mind. She still remembered the way he had acted when he had told her she was a Muggle as if it were some terrible disease or something. Whilst he hadn’t been like that during the rest of the time she had been with him, she had a feeling it was still there, lurking just below the surface.   

The door opened and Lucius entered, closing and locking the door behind him. He looked distracted. He came to sit on the bed and ran his hand down her face, then continued to her body. He still hadn’t returned her clothes nor had he provided anything else for her to wear, although by now she had grown accustomed to her nakedness and didn’t even think about it.

‘Are you all right, Lucius?’ she asked.

Lucius looked hard at Kat as if assessing something, then smiled. ‘Of course, angel. I  just had a difficult meeting with some friends.’

He pulled her to him and kissed her tenderly, his hand caressing her back gently as he did so. Then with a wave of his wand, he removed his clothes, revealing his toned physique and an impressive erection. He put the wand on the bedside table and crawled onto the bed next to Kat, pulling her into his arms.

‘How long have I been here, Lucius?’ Kat asked quietly. She didn’t want to annoy him, but she needed to know.

‘Why? Eager to get away from me?’ Lucius asked sounding amused. ‘Had enough already?’

Kat shook her head. ‘No. But I must be missing work by now, and they’ll wonder where I am. And your wife . . . .’

‘Oh, forget her,’ Lucius replied in annoyance. ‘I thought we weren’t going to mention her anymore.’

‘But surely she’ll be home soon? It’ll be hard to ignore her then, I would have thought?’

Lucius scowled at Kat. ‘I told you not to worry about her. She’s nothing to do with us.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Kat replied, cowed by his anger.

Lucius pulled her to him and kissed her soundly on the lips. ‘Forget Narcissa,’ he advised, his voice seductive. He trailed kisses down her neck toward her breasts. ‘I have something much more interesting for you to think about.’

 

 

* * *

 

 

Lucius held Kat tightly in his arms. She had drifted into sleep again after their latest bout of lovemaking. His hand brushed her cheek as he looked down at her. How he wished he didn’t have to let her go home. If he had his way, he would keep her here forever. After the last time she had mentioned Narcissa, he had almost told her the truth about his relationship with his wife: that the two of them had been married in name only for the last fifteen years; that Narcissa wouldn’t give a toss that he had taken a lover, apart from scorning him for taking a Muggle to his bed. But if he told Kat the truth, she might think she saw some future in their relationship, and Lucius knew there was none.

He couldn’t keep her here any longer. She had been out of work for two days now, and he knew he had to let her get back or she was likely to lose her job. He had managed to find out where she worked and had got one of his Half-blood Ministry associates who was au fait with Muggle culture to contact them and explain that Kat had been taken ill and had gone to stay with relatives while she recovered. They had assured the company it wasn’t serious, but her family were protective and wanted to look after her, not wanting her to be left alone. She would be back at work as soon as she was recovered and would take the time off as a holiday, if need be. Her company had accepted the lie, but even so, she would need to go back soon.

Lucius had considered keeping Kat as his lover, and had on several blissful occasions entertained thoughts of visiting her at her flat, but even this long after the Dark Lord’s defeat the idea of Lucius Malfoy with a Muggle mistress wouldn’t go down well, among either his peers or the rest of the wizarding community, who still suspected him of being a Death Eater; and there was no way he would have been able to keep such a relationship secret for long. Of course, at one time it wouldn’t have gone down well with him, either. After all, when he had originally abducted Kat, less than a week ago, although it seemed like a lifetime ago now, he had expected to kill her when he had finished with her. But something in him had changed because of her.

He was going to miss her so much. In the short time they had been together he had transformed her from a nun to a totally sexual creature. She had amazed him with her eagerness to learn, at least when she wasn’t fretting about Narcissa, and he had introduced her to every possible position several times, and some of them considerably more than that. He would forever remember the first time he had suggested anal sex and the horror with which she had reacted, but slowly and surely he had got her to agree to at least try it, pleased that he hadn’t even had to threaten to curse her to achieve it. And perhaps because he hadn’t threatened her, she had given herself to him completely and had enjoyed it, possibly as much as he had. Other positions, too, gave him fond memories, including the time that she had turned the tables on him and tied him to the bed with the silken cords he had used to hold her the first time they had made love. But just being with her, holding her tightly and kissing her tenderly, was just as if not more poignant than the sex.

Lucius knew he had to let Kat go back to her life without him, but that would mean Obliviating her. He didn’t want her to forget him or the things they had done together. After all, he had liberated her from her dependence on her no-good ex-husband, and he didn’t want that to ruin her life again. But at the same time, he couldn’t bear the idea of her being in a relationship with anyone else. Couldn’t bear to think that everything he had taught her and done with her would be used to give someone else please, someone not worthy of being with her, someone who wasn’t him. But then there was her knowledge, however sparse, of his world. He had no choice. If he was to let her go, he would have to Obliviate her.

 

 

* * *

 

 

‘You need to go home, angel.’ Lucius’ voice was cold, hiding the emotion he felt at speaking the words. He really didn’t want Kat to leave him.

Kat looked at him in amazement. For days he had ignored her questions about how long she had been there, and now suddenly, after everything they had done together, he was throwing her out. She felt strangely bereft. When she had first been taken she had longed to be set free, but now she didn’t want to go. She still wasn’t sure how long she had been here; it couldn’t have been much more than a week, but she knew she was in love with Lucius. It wasn’t infatuation or lust but pure love, and if there had been any chance for the two of them to make it as a couple she would have happily given up everything in her life to be with him. But of course, he had his wife, and probably she was due home, which was why Kat had to go.

‘Is Narcissa coming home?’ she asked, trying not to sound upset.

‘Yes, but that’s not the reason you have to go,’ Lucius replied somewhat stiffly. ‘One of my staff contacted your work and told them you were ill and staying with relatives. I’m aware that you can’t stay unwell forever, you need to return to work. Which means I, therefore, have to release you.’

He waved his wand and her clothes appeared in a neat pile on the bed. Kat looked at them with a sinking feeling. Lucius really was getting rid of her.

Lucius watched Kat dress, wishing things could be different. He didn’t want her to go home, he didn’t want her to leave him, but he had no choice.

‘Finally, I get to see the sexy underwear!’ he announced jokingly as Kat did up her bra, having already put on the matching knickers that he hadn’t got to see at the beginning. ‘You don’t know how disappointed I was that I didn’t get to see you like that the first night. I was so enjoying your strip-tease, and I was really looking forward to seeing you in that sexy underwear. It was annoying to have to remove all of your clothes with magic.’

‘I’m so sorry,’ Kat said. ‘But you know I really didn’t want to take my clothes off. I didn’t want you to see me naked, and I felt so embarrassed when I realised I’d worn such provocative underwear. It made it seem like I’d been hoping for you to come along.’

Lucius pulled Kat into his arms. ‘I couldn’t have been so lucky. But when I saw that sexy red bra I knew there was a passionate woman hidden in there somewhere . . . my sexy little Red Riding Hood. I just had to find her.’

He kissed her deeply then, ‘and I did find her. I just wish I didn’t have to let you go.’

Kat looked at him sadly. ‘You were very different from what I’d expected. In the woods, I was thinking you were a werewolf.’ She laughed self-consciously.

‘A werewolf?’ Lucius looked at her. Then he remembered. ‘Oh, all that stuff about my eyes and that. See, I thought that was Red Riding Hood. That’s why there was that clever use of words . . . me saying I was going to eat you.’

Kat blushed. ‘Oh yes, I remember. I’d forgotten about that when you used that awful curse on your house-elf. It sort of scared everything else out of me. But I remembered when we—’

Lucius laughed. ‘I realised you’d remembered from the way you reacted. It was such perfect timing. Gods, angel, you are so beautiful. I’m going to miss you so much.’

He kissed her again, holding on tight as if never intending to let her go. But he knew he had to.

For a moment Kat thought of telling him how she felt, but then she remembered Narcissa and kept silent. She buttoned up her cardigan, almost ready to leave.

Lucius gazed at her his face serious now. ‘I’ll take you home,’ he said. ‘I want to make sure you get back safely. It’s dangerous in those woods.’

‘I’ll remember that,’ Kat said, trying to keep her voice light. She didn’t want to make a fool of herself by crying.

Lucius took her hands. ‘Kat, I’ve really enjoyed you being here. You’ve been a wonderful companion and a fantastic lover.’

‘Please kiss me, Lucius,’ Kat told him, feeling her eyes fill with tears. She so didn’t want to leave him.

Lucius pulled her into his arms as his lips found hers with an intensity they had never shared before. His tongue plundered her mouth, capturing hers with ease as he squeezed her tight, savouring the last few moments with his love.

‘Time to go, angel,’ he said gruffly as their kiss finally finished, and he reluctantly released Kat from his arms.

He waved his wand. ‘ _Accio_ coat.’

Kat watched in amazement as her red coat flew through the door of the bedroom into Lucius’ waiting arms. He passed it to her.

‘For you . . . my beautiful Red Riding Hood.’

Kat smiled at Lucius’ comment and put on the coat. It really was time to leave.

‘I’m ready,’ she said unhappily, feeling a pain in her chest where her heart was breaking.

‘We’ll Apparate back to the woods,’ Lucius told her. ‘Then I’ll walk you to your home from there.’

Kat nodded and Lucius wrapped his arms around her, bending to kiss her as they Disapparated.

 

 

* * *

 

 

They were in the woods, exactly where Lucius had Apparated them from seven days previously. He finished the kiss and released Kat reluctantly from his grasp, then offered her his arm, as he had done the first time they met, and led her back onto the path and eventually out of the woods. Only a few minutes later they turned into her road, the flats she lived in looming ahead.

‘That’s where I live,’ Kat said pointing at the block. ‘On the seventh floor.’  

Lucius looked disappointed. He had been hoping the trip would take longer. He still had to Obliviate Kat, and he really wasn’t looking forward to it.

They reached the tower block and held each other again, kissing as they waited for the lift.

‘Thank you, Lucius,’ Kat said, gazing avidly at him.

Lucius looked surprised. ‘What for?’ he asked.

The lift opened and the two of them got in. Kat pressed the button for the seventh floor.

‘For making me live again. For giving me so much pleasure. For being so wonderful . . . .’ Kat had to stop as tears were threatening again, and she was determined that Lucius wouldn’t see her cry.

Lucius was silent. There was so much he wanted to say but nothing he could say, not without upsetting both himself and Kat.

The lift opened and the couple stepped out and walked along the corridor to the door at the far end. Kat fished in her pocket for her key and opened the door.

‘Welcome to my humble abode,’ she said breezily as they entered. ‘Not quite as spacious as your gaff, obviously I only have the one guest bedroom. But I call it home.’

Kat wandered into the lounge and flicked on the light, then moved to the mantelpiece where she quickly lit a large candle that was placed there. Taking a deep breath of its fragrance, she moved back toward Lucius, undoing her coat as she did so.

‘Do you want a cup of tea?’ she asked, heading toward the kitchen.

She switched on the light in there too, grabbing the kettle and heading for the sink. She tipped out the water that was in the kettle, rinsed it out, then added new water and set it back on the counter, plugging it in to boil.

Lucius came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. Kat laughed.

‘Can you get me some cups from the cupboard behind you, please? No, not that one, the one to the left.’

Lucius did as he was told.

Meanwhile, Kat had opened the pantry and was retrieving teabags and sugar. She sighed and pulled out a carton of long-life milk. ‘We’ll have to make do with this, I’m afraid. I forgot I didn’t have any fresh milk.’

Lucius laughed. ‘You forget I’m a wizard,’ he said, and he pulled his wand from his pocket. In a moment he had Transfigured the carton into a bottle of fresh milk.

The kettle boiled, and Kat poured the water over the teabags, adding milk and sugar. After a couple of minutes of steeping, she removed the bags and handed Lucius a mug. They headed back to the lounge, where they sat together on Kat’s old but serviceable sofa.

‘I have to go shortly, angel,’ Lucius told Kat apologetically after taking a sip of his tea. ‘I really wish I didn’t have to.’

‘I understand,’ Kat said. ‘You need to get back for your wife.’

Lucius laughed bitterly. ‘How many times have I told you to forget about her? She isn’t the reason I have to get back.’

Kat looked hopeful. ‘Will you come and see me again, then? You’re welcome to come at any time.’

Lucius looked unhappy, but he shook his head. ‘No. I can’t, I’m afraid. I have to let you get on with your life.’

Kat knew she looked upset at his comment. Lucius _was_ her life — at least he was now.

‘I’m sorry, angel,’ Lucius said quietly, and he leant forward to kiss her, taking her mug from her and placing it with his on the coffee table.

He pulled his wand from his pocket and ran through the spell in his mind as he gave Kat a final lingering kiss. He really needed to get this right. As he finished the kiss he pointed his wand at her. Kat looked scared.

‘Lucius?’

‘I’m so sorry, angel, but I have to do this. I don’t want to, but I really have no choice.’ Lucius was apologetic as he waved his wand at Kat, speaking the words of the spell. He watched as her face went blank, then she closed her eyes, falling back against the sofa in a deep slumber.

Lucius leant forward and brushed Kat’s hair from her face, kissing her gently before standing up to leave.

‘I’ll miss you, angel,’ he whispered as he Disapparated.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Kat woke up. She had been dreaming about her man again. The excruciatingly handsome man with the long pale blond hair and grey eyes, who held her so tenderly and kissed her with such passion. She had no idea who he was except as a figment of her dreaming mind, although he had always seemed real to her. But perhaps that was because she had always dreamed about him and from the dreams she’d had he was definitely her perfect lover. 

She rubbed her swollen belly feeling the baby kicking inside her. There were only a few more weeks now until her child was due. She had finished work today, her friend Helen helping her to carry all the cards and gifts back to her flat. They had cut through the woods which for some reason gave Kat a fright, a spike of terror running up her spine all the way through the shortcut. When had she become so afraid of the woods? Perhaps it was the pregnancy, the fear for her unborn child that did it.

Kat headed to the kitchen to put on the kettle; a cup of tea would make her feel better. It always did. Taking the mug back to the lounge she sat on the sofa wrapping her legs under her as she thought once again about the man in her dream. She had no idea where she had dreamt him up from but she knew him so well. So well that he seemed like a real person to her. She even knew his name – Lucius, and crazy as it seemed she was convinced he was the father of her child, the child that she wasn’t supposed to be able to have.

The baby kicked again. Kat laughed. ‘I think you’re going to be a footballer,’ she told the child as she stroked her stomach again, ‘or maybe a wizard, like your father,’ she whispered. 

Feeling suddenly tired, she stood up and headed for the bedroom. She climbed into bed and made herself comfortable in a cocoon of pillows. Grabbing one she closed her eyes. Her beloved Lucius was there, smiling and reaching out to take her in his arms, to pull her and his child tightly to him. Kat gave a small sob as she wrapped her arms tighter around the pillow.      


End file.
